St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-30
NOT BLACKMAILERS.
Col. Oberly Defines the High
Standard of Democratic
Politics,
Which, Under Civil Service
Rules Prohibits the Day.
light Robbery
Which Was Praeticed by the
Republican Leaders When
in Power.
President Cleveland Gets An
other Invitation--Genepal
Washington News.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.-Col. John
III. Oberly, of the civil service. commits
sion, has written the following letter
to Charles L. Spencer, who, ON behalf
of the Illinois Democratic association of
this city. invited Mr.. Oberly to address
the association this evening. The Illi-
nois Democratic association is a polit-
ical association of clerks from the state
of Illinois in the government depart
mental service.
Sept.29 ,1SS7.-Dear Sir: l have come to
the conclusion that | cannot accept the
invitation OF the Illinois Democratic as
SOciatiOn cOurteOuSly extended to me by
you as a committee of that body, with
out violating official obligation. The
commission holds that entrance and
continuance in that part of the eXecu-
classified civil service, should
be upon the merit of
the applicant or emplove without regard
to his political opinions or Affiliations.
This position is justified by many con-
siderations, all of which lead irresist-
ably to the conclusion that the civil
service act of 1888 was enacted for the
purpose of providing nOn-partiSan
service. 1t follows, therefore, that this
law
SHOULD BE EXECUTED
in strictly nOn-partiSan manner; and
from this proposition logically follows
the conclusion that no officer charged
with its execution can be effective in
the discharge of that duty if by active
participation in party politics he de-
ctr l,a EJn of ~,
his fairness and impartiality. a civil
service commissioner a civil service
examiner, as a member of a political
committee, OF as member, patron OF
encOurager of political association,
composed of persons in the public
service, all members of one political
party, organized for the purpose of put
ting certain political partisans into, and
of excluding certain other political par
tisans from office, would certainly be
out of place, and the public would be
justified in the conclusion that, in the
discharge of his official duties, he might
bear unfairly against political oppo-
nentS and lean partially toward party
friends. The commission has expressed
the opinion that a Republican in the
public service has the right to entertain
STRONG POLITICAL VIEWS,
and to give, at the proper time, strong
expression to those views. This posi-
tion may be perverted into an appear
ance; of Inconsistency with the position
that the Illinois Democratic association
. may not properly be patroniZed or en-
be no legal or other good objection that
can be urged against the policy of DEM
ocrats in the public service, organizing,
as you have done, for the pur-
pose of becoming active in eff
fort to promote the interest of the adj
miniStratiOn. In other words it may be
said that there is an unwillingness on
my part to give to the Demo-
cratic office-holder the partisan privil-
eges that are accorded as of right to the
Republican office-holder. A candid
consideration of the Illinois Democratic
association in the light shed upon it by
several sections of the civil service act,
will, however, show you that my OBJ
lection to such associations partisan
associations of office-holderS-are based
upon a strong foundation, which no
partiSanship can destroy or even
weaken.
Mr.. Oberly then quotes the sections
of the civil service act Q1 and 14) which
prohibit employees from either giving or
receiving political contributions, and
continues:
Now does it not follow that officers,
clerks and other persons in the service
of the United States, who are organized
for political purposes, and who, by in
clifton, fees, dues and contributions,
defray the expenses of this organization,
are violating sections eleven and four
teen of the civil service act. They are
glving-they are handing over to Off
GERS, clerks, or other persons, in the
service of the United States, and these
persons acting as officers of the associa-
tion, as the representatives of the as
SOciated officers, clerks, and other per-
sons in the service of the United States,
are receiving money for political pur-
poses, money to be applied to the pro-
motion of political objects. 1t should
not be forgotten that the provisions of
the civil service act to which l have re-
ferred, and other similar provisions of
that act, were passed while the Repub-
lican party were in power, and when
BY PERvERTING INsTRUMENTALITIEs,
the Republicans were using the public
service for partisan purposes; when
the Republican party was filling the
civil service with men and women, not
because they would be efficient public
servants, but for the reaIon that they or
GuSiI lIlclluo Httol Ottl etlINC III dltSduC-
ing the political fortune of some men,
ber of that party; when having thus
appointed men and women for partisan
reasons only, the Republican party then
robbed them by assessments and by
solicitations accompanied by open or
limited threats of dismissal; when, for
the purpose of making its frequent at
tempts at this kind of robbery effective,
it organized the Republican state asso-
Citations and used them in taking from
the purses of its victims money that was
needed in the support and educa-
ton of families dependent upon
the persons who were compelled to heed
the partisan demand to 'sStand and de-
liver" 1t should not be forgotten by
Democrats that the penal sections of the
civil service act were aimed at this SyS-
tenn of robbery by assessment and so
licitation. and at all the instrumental
ties by which that system was made
effective. Democrats applauded the
enactment of these provisions, and con-
graduated themselves upon the proba-
bility that they would destroy
THE MAIIGN INFLUENCES
of the Republican state associations
located at Washington, and give to the
Democratic party a fair chance in fair
fight for the presidency. And the Dem
ocratS were not mistaken. The penal
clauses of the civil service act did break
| the power of the partisan collector, who
robbed the clerks of the departments by
using the Republican state associations
as his weapons of assault and as his
burglar tools. Over this result Demo
as a consequence of the enactment Oi
1 itril q